Academic

Hayden on Edwards' Solution to the Iraq Quagmire

By Robert Justin Lipkin

Tom Hayden, a leader of the sixties' new left student movement, files the following report on John Edwards' presidential campaign in Iowa: "One day before the Iowa caucuses, John Edwards has become the first major presidential candidate to favor withdrawing all American troops, including advisers, from Iraq, doing so in response to queries from a leading military correspondent, the New York Times' Michael Gordon. . . . The positions taken by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, while favoring de-escalation, would leave tens of thousands of American advisers, special forces and substantial back-up troops in Iraq for five years, at least until 2013. The mainstream media also has promoted the view that there is 'no way out' of Iraq, according to a comprehensive survey by Peter Hart in Extra! [Nov.-Dec. 2007]. If these views prevail, the US government will be funding, arming, training and defending a repressive sectarian state in Baghdad for years. Already, for example, there are over 50,000 Iraqi prisoners held in detention by the US and Baghdad authorities, the vast majority of them on no charges. Evidence of torture and ethnic cleansing by the Baghdad regime has been accumulated in numerous official reports as well." For more click here.

Of course, it's difficult to tell, but Edwards seems to outshine his two closest Democratic opponents. He's smart, knowledgeable, and he seems more sincere than other rivals. Of course, the primary problem he identifies as the enemy other than Iraq--corporate greed--can't be beaten by one man. Consequently, rather than talk about how evil--obstructing democracy, egoism, and blatant insensitivity to pressing human needs and values--he should tell us what systemic response he can put into place to alter America's oligarchic capitalism. Perhaps, tipping the balance toward democratic capitalism, whatever that means, would sell better, if not in Iowa, then at least in more urban areas. One final note. When we cast our ballots for president we're choosing not only a particular person, but in fact a management team. Hilary's management team is probably predictable. Obama's is clear clear. Who would Edwards choose? If you're cynical enough to believe that oligarchic capitalism is too entrenched to be chastised or even modified than John Edwards must fail. But then so must all other candidates who recognize our lovely oligarchic, secret government-of rule by monied elites--beneath the bells and whistles of American "democracy." One can't be sanguine about progressive change in these circumstances. Tonight we'll learn what the Iowans think.

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Full post as published by Essentially Contested America on January 03, 2008 (boomark / email).